Etched metal body and method of producing same



G. H. MAMEROW ETGHEDMETAL BODY ANDAMETHOD oF-PRODUCING SAME April' .131, 1926.

Patented Apr. 13, 1926.

NITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE H. MAMEROV, OF CHICAGO. ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO CROWE NAME PLATE & MANUFACTURING COMPANY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS` ETCHED METAL BODY AND METHOD OF PRODUCING SAME.

Application filed July 24, 1925. Serial No. 45,808.

To all whom it may Concern:

Be it known that I, Gnouon II. MAMunoW,

a citizen of the United States, residing at 4222 North Keeler A venue, Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Etched Metal Bodies and Methods of Producing Same, of which the following is a specication.

My invention, as to one phase thereof, rclates to a novel method of producing an etched metal body, and, as to another phase thereof, to a novel etched metal body; my invention having been devised, more particularly, in connection with the production of etched plates forming the front Walls of the cases in which the mechanism of radio apparatus is enclosed. y

My primary objects are to provide, first for the production of a body of the character stated and more particularly of late form, with its exposed surface of such c aracter that scratches, or marks, occurring thereon, either in the manufacture or handling of the body, or occurring in use, or otherwise, or other kinds of marks, made by handling the body, or imperfections or blemishes in the metal itself, will be rendered practically invisible; and second, to provide for the enhancing of the appearance of the body particularly when in plate form and provided as the front Wall of a radio case.

Referring to the laccompanying drawing Figure l is a view of a plate provided as the front plate of a radio case and embodying my invention, the ornamentation of the background thereof being shown purely diagrammatically; and Figure 2, a broken, enlarged, plan view of a corner of the plate showing the ornamentation in detail.

An essential feature of the invention consists in the producing of an etched metal body by a succession of acid-resist-applying operations and etching operations alternately performed, thereby producing an etched surface having face portions at more than two levels or planes, with the advantages as will be apparent from the following description:

Referring to the article shown which is purely illustrative of my improved structure' and the manner of producing it, the article shown is in the form of a plate to be used as the front wall of a case for radio :apparatus and involves a plurality of segmental numbered graduations for co-operation with pointers connected with selectors, or other devices (not shown) as desired, and other indicating markings shown at the lower portion of the plate -for eo-operation with other movable parts of the apparatus, it being understood that the various markings shown and referred to may be varied depending upon the particular arrangement and form of the various parts of the particular radio apparatus with which the plate is to be used. The plate shown and which is of metal, is etched to produce the border shown at 10 and the graduations and legendary markings shown and above referred to, all of the portions of the plate just referred to being in relief, and the plate is thereafter again etched to produce the background of the plate and shown as stippled in Fig. 1 and comprising portions in relief shown by the indicated stippled portions in Fig. l and at 1l in Fig. 2, thereby producing three different levels of exposed surfaces.

The operations to produce the finished plate may Vary greatly, depending, more particularly, upon the particular appearance it is desired the plate present.l

By way of example the following procedure may be practiced: The metal plate, after being operated on to cause its face to be of a character it is desired the high-lights or relieved portions, present at the first or outermost level ofthe finished plate, as for example by grinding, buting, satin finishing, scratch-brushing, matt finishing or plating, has applied to it in any desirable way, as Well known in the art, acid-resist in the form of the design to be presented by the highlights, as for example the border 10, the graduations and other legendary markings shown on the drawings hereinbefore referred to. The plate is then etched and the entire -background may thereafter, if desired, be

plated or oxidized. .'The design, in acid re- 10 sist, for producing the desired background is then applied to the face of the plate. In the plate shown in the drawing this last referred to acid-resist is applied to all portions of the background except those areas bounded by the irregular enclosing lines on the drawings and bounding the portions 11, to produce a surface simulating a coarse grain leather. If desired the background design in acid-resist may be printed overthe 110 entire surface of the plate. Thereafter the 2. An etched metal body having etched c5 plate is again etched to produce the depressed areas surrounding the areas 11, these depressed areas comprising the third-level portions of the face of the plate, and the plate may then, if desired, be plated, oxidized or colored in any desirable Way. 'Ihe acid-resist appliedA in the two operations as stated is then reinoved in any suitable manner. Y

It will be understood from the foregoing that a plate thus produced presents the high-lights referred to', at the first, or outermost level, the relief portions of the background, whieh as above stated'may, if desired, be oxidized or plated, at a level beyond the level of the high-lights, and the depressed portions of the background beyond the relief portions of the background and which may also, if desired, be plated, oxidized or colored, at a third level. p

The forming of the background of the plate to provide portions in relief and relief-outlining, or depressed portions, thus presents a broken, relatively rough etched surface, which not only causes the plate to present a highly ornamental effect, adding greatly to the ornamental appearance of the late, but renders practically invisible hanling marks and scratches on, or imperfections in, the metal of the plate.

The provision of the plate as stated per-A mits of all portions of the background presenting, when desired, the same character of exposed surface, as for example an oxidized surface which is very desirable, as scratches,

imperfections in the metal, and other marks produced in the handling of the plate, including grease markings, are rendered more nearly invisible.

While I have described my improved article as produced in a certain way and with certain design of background and certain characters of surfaces of the background-forming portions, I do not wish to be understood as intending to limit my invention thereto, as the plate may be modified as to all of these matters, in various ways, without departing from the spirit of my invention.

What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

1. An etched metal body having etched portions with an etched background coinsing a ma'or port-ion of the surface, said Background eing broken up into comparatively ininute areas comprising portions in relief and portions forming outlining surfaces for said relief portions, whereby visibility of accidental inarrings, or inherent imperfections, is minimized, said relief portions of said background occup ing a plane in the rear of the plane of said rst-referredto portions.

portions witliya'n etched background, said ackground being formed of portions in relief and portions forming, outlining surfaces for said relief portions with one of said portions of said background oxidized, said relief portions of said background occupying a plane in the rear of the plane of said firstreferred-to etched portions.

3. An etched metal body having etched portions with an etched background, said background being formed of portions in rclief and portions forming y outlining surfaces for said relief portions with both of saidportions of said background oxidized, Said relief portions of said background occupying a plane in the rear of the plane of said first-re-ferred-to etched portions.

4. An etched metal body having etched portions with an etched background, ysaid background being formed of portions in relief and portions forming outlining surfaces for said relief portions with both of said portions of said background oxidized and of a form simulating leather, said relief portions of said background occupyin a plane in the rear of the plane of said rst-referred-to etched portions. l

5. The process of forming an etched metal body presenting a background composing a major portion of the surface, to minimize visibility of accidental inarrings on the surface of the background or inherent iinperfections therein, which consists in applying acid-resist to those portions of the face of said body which form the outermost face portions of the finished body, thereafter etching the face of said body, then applying acid-resist to cover comparatively minute areas of the back round, and again etching the face of said ody whereby the etched surfaces extend in more than two planes.

6. The process of forming an etched metal body which consists in applying acid-resist to those portions ofv the face of said body which form the outermost face portions of the lfinished body, thereafter etching the face of said body, thereupon oxidizing those portions not covered by the resist, then ap- Elying acid-resist to cover portions of the ackground and again etching the face of said body, whereby the etched surfaces extend in more than two planes.

7. The process of forming an etched metal than two planes, and then oxidizing the depressed surfaces produced by the secondetching operation.

8. The process of forming an etched metal body presenting a background composinga major portion of the surface, to minimize visibility of accidental marrin s on the surface of the background, or in erent viirnper'- fections therein, which consists in applying acid-resist to those portions of the face of said body which form the outermost face portions of the finished body, thereafter etching the face of said body, then applying acid-resist to cover comparatively minute areas of the background, of such form and arrangement as are similar to the relief portions of grain leather, and again etching the face of said body, whereby the etched surfaces extend in more than two planes.

9. The process of forming an etched metal body which consists in applying acid-resist to those portions of the face of said body which form the outermost face of the fin- 'etching the face of sai portions of said body, thereupon applying e acid resist to such portions of the background thereof as to correspond generally to the relief portions of rain leather, again d body, whereby the etched surfaces extend 'in more than two planes, and thereafter oxidizing the depressed portions produced by the second etching operation.

10. The process of vforming an etched metal body which consists in applying acidresist to those portions of the .face of said body which form the outermost face vportions of the finished body, thereafter etching i the face of said body, applying acid-resist to cover portions of the background and again etching the face of said body, whereby the etched surfaces, extend in more than two planes, and then oxidizing said background.

GEORGE H. MAMEROW. 

